Starting mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



APPLICATION FlLED JULY 21, 1914.

Patented Jan. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WW a Q A TTOR/VEV G. J. SPOHRER. STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION :ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, {914.

1 ,2], 2,578, Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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A TTOR/VEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

GREGORY J. SPOHRER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASQIGNOB TO THE MOTOR-COMPRESSOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,152.

gines; and I do hereby declare the following.

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to starting mechanism for internal combustionengines of the type employing a convertible motor-com- ,pressor whichmay be employed as a motor for driving the shaft of the internalcombustion engine and may be driven as a compressor by the engine tocompress an elastic fluid and store it in a suitable reservoir.

The invention is directed particularly to the provision of a startingmechanism for use on automobiles, though it will be apparent that themechanism can be used in connection with engines of various types andemployed for various purposes.

This invention refers more particularly to the connecting mechanismemployed between the motor-compressorfand the engine shaft, thismechanism being such that either of these two members may be the drivingmember and the other the driven member.

The primary object of the invention is to provide such a connectingmechanism adapted for use between a convertible motor-compressor and anengine-driven shaft which mechanism is simple in construction, which maybe manufactured at low cost, which is of light weight, which occupiesbut little space, and the operationof which may be effected largely orentirely automatically.

In accordance with the invention, I employ a convertiblemotor-compressor, preferably using compressed air, and the shaft of thismotor-compressor is arranged to rotate in one direction when the deviceis employed as a motor and in the opposite direction when the device isemployed as a compressor. The shaft of the gas engine or an auxiliaryshaft connected thereto must ordinarily rotate always in the samedirection. The connecting gearing between this shaft and themotor-compressor must, therefore, provide for opposite rotation of thetwo shafts in the one case and like rotation in the other case. Also,for conveniencein operating, it is highly desirable that the neces saryconnections under the differing conditions of use shouldbe madeautomatically. More specifically, it is highly desirable that when themotor-compressor is used as a motor, its shaft should be connectedautomatically to the engine shaft; that when the engine is started, theconnection of that shaft to the motor should be immediately disconnectedautomatically and that when it is desired to drive the motor-compressoras' a compressor from the engine shaft, the engine shaft should beconnected to the compressor automatically. I accomplish these ends bythe provision of connecting devices between the motor-compressor and theengine shaft which are actuated automatically by the operation of themotor-compressor when the engine shaft is at rest and also are actuatedautomatically by the engine shaft when its speed of rotation exceedsthat of the motor-compressor. These connecting devices preferablyinclude a movable gear which may be moved to a position for connectingthe engine shaft and the motorcompressor or to a position where it doesnot effect this connection. Preferably, this movable gear is movableaxially upon a suitable support and the gear and its support areprovided with coacting spiral threads.

' When the motor is operated while the engine shaft is at rest, it actsthrough the spiralthread to, move the gear axially into driving relationto the engine shaft. Also, when the engine is started, at which timeitsspeed of rotation will exceed that of the motor, the

engine shaft will act through the spiral thread to move the gear bodilyto a position such that it no longer serves to connect the engine shaftand motor. In combination with these devices, I employ a means forconnecting the engine shaft to the shaft of the motor-compressor so thatthe latter will operate as a compressor driven by the engine. Theestablishment of this connection may be effected in' any suitablemanner, but I prefer to effect it pneumatically since then it may bedone as an incident to a change in the connections leading from thecompressor whereby the latter is adapted to compress air and store it inthe storage reservoir. These and other features of the invention will bebetter understood by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the being preferably of the four-cylinder compound typeand arranged to run in one direction as a motor and in the otherdirection as a compressor. cylinders are shown at 5, each having itspiston connected by a connecting rod 6 to the crank-pin 7 of the crankshaft 8. This shaft has its ends mounted for rotation in suitablebearings formed in the casing 9 of the motor-compressor. On one end ofthe shaft 8 is an eccentric 10 whose strap 11 is connected by rods 12 tothe ends of rocking valve members 13 which are located in valve chambers14 and by their movements serve to control the supply of air from thetank to the cylinders of the motor and the supply of air from thecompressor to the tank.

The other end of the crank shaft 8 of the motor-compressor is extendedthrough its bearing in the casing 9 and has a gear 15 secured thereon.This gear 15 is connected by an idler gear 16 to a gear 17 keyed upon acounter-shaft 18 mounted for rotation in bearings formed in the walls ofan auxiliary casing 19 secured to the casing 9. The

gear 17 has an integral extension in the form of a sleeve20 and one ormore spiral threads 21 are formed integral with this sleeve 20 as shownin Figs. 1 and 4. A sec- 1 0nd sleeve 22 fits upon the sleeve 20 and isadapted to rotate and move axially thereon. This sleeve 22 has a gear 23formed integral therewith and on its interior surface, it has one ormore spiral grooves corresponding to the spiral threads 21 upon thesleeve 20, the construction being such that axial and rotationalmovement'of sleeve 22 and gear 23 on sleeve 20 take place concurrently.

The gear 23 is adapted to move laterally into and out of mesh with agear 24. This gear is splined by means of a key 25 upon the end of ashaft 26. This shaft 26 may be the shaft of the internal combustionengine which is to be started; or, it may be'a counter-shaft which isconnected in any suitable manner to the shaft of the engine to bestarted, as for instance, by the chain and sprocket indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1. The extended hub 27 of the gear 24 which extends overand is splined to the shaft 26 is preferably received in a bearing 28which is secured to the casing 19. On its opposite side, the gear 24 isformed as a clutch-member adapted to fit over the end of The two lowpressure the gear 15 and provided with projections which coact with theteeth of the gear 15 to lock the gears 15 and 24 for simultaneousrotation.

The gear 24 is moved axially upon shaft 26 into and out of engagingrelation with the gear 15 by a yoke 29 which fits into a circumferentialgroove provided for its reception at the side of the gear 24. This yoke29 is secured to a post 30 which is pivotally connected to a rockinglever 31 mounted in bearings formed upon the casing 19. The opposite endof this lever 31 is connected by a rod 32 to a piston 33 adapted toreciprocate Within a cylinder 34 which is secured to the frame of themotor-compressor. An air pipe 35is connected to one end of the cylinder34 so that air admitted to the cylinder therethrough will displace thepiston 33 and act through the rod 32, lever 31, post 30 and yoke 29 tomove the gear 24 into clutching relation with the gear 15. The piston 33is actuated thus against the tension of a spring 36 lying between it andthe end of the cylinder 34. As soon as the air pressure is withdrawnfrom the cylinder 34, the spring 36 restores the parts to the positionsin which they are shown in Fig. 1 with the gear 24 out ofengagementowith the gear 15. The compressed air is admitted to pipe 35and cylinder 34 from a supply reservoir 38, atwo-way valve 39 beinginserted in the connection, as shown in Fig. 1. When the movable memberof this valve is in one of its two positions, the cylinder 34isconnected to atmosphere as shown, and when it is in the otherposition, the tank 38 is connected to the cylinder 34.

In order to make more positive the axial movement of the gear 23 uponthe member 20 effected by the spiral thread heretofore referred to, Iprefer to subject the gear 23 and its sleeve 22 to a slight retardationwhich will tend to check rotation of gear 23 with gear 17 when axialmovement of gear 23 is permissible. For this purpose, I provide aspringarm bearing upon the sleeve 22 to exert a slight frictionalretardation of the rotation of the sleeve. Such a spring-arm is shown at37 in Figs. 1 and 3, it being secured to the casing 19 adjacent to thesleeve 22.

If it be desired to start the engine, the operator manipulates themaster-valve so as to admit air to the motor and the latter will runwith its shaft driving the gear 15, the idler 16 and the gear 17 havingthe sleeve 20 thereon. The gears 17 and 15 will rotate in a clockwisedirection as the gear 17 and its sleeve 20 are shown in Fig. 3. \Vhenthe sleeve 20 is rotated in this direction, the spiral thread 21 thereonacts upon the walls of the coacting groove in the sleeve 22 to move thatsleeve and its gear as the parts are shown in Fig. 1. This carries thegear 23 into mesh with the gear 24,

the axial movement of the gear 23 being ary rested when the latter is inmesh with the gear 24 by the engagement of the end of sleeve 22 with thegear 17. Since the gear 24 is splined upon the shaft 26, the motorserves as a driving member for the shaft 26 and will rotate the latterthrough the gears 15, 16, 17, 23 and 24 until the engine begins tooperate under its own power.

It will be noted that the gearing is such that shaft 26, when driven bythe motor, turns in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation ofthe motor shaft 8. As soon as the engine starts to operate under its ownpower, it drives the gear 24 at a speed in excess of that at which itwas driven by the motor. This turns the gear 23 and its sleeve 22 uponthe sleeve 20 and as the gear 23 turns thus, the spiral thread 21 causesthe gear to be moved axially to the left as shown in Fig. 1 until it iscarried out of mesh with the gear 24 whereupon the driving. relation ofthe engine shaft to the motor and the intermediate connecting gearing isdisconnected. Furthermore, as soon as the engine started to operateunder its own power, the operator would cut off the supply of air to themotor. This being done and the gear 23 being moved to the position inwhich it is shown in Fig. 1, the parts of the motor-compressor and thegearing for connecting it with the shaft 26, would remain at rest whilethe engine was in operation.

It will be noted that any tendency of the gear 23 to rotate with thesleeve 20, but not move axially thereon when the motor is first startedinoperation to start the engine shaft, will be overcome by thefrictional retardation of sleeve 22 and gear 23 by the spring-arm 37.

When the supply of compressed air in the storage reservoir becomesdiminished and it is desired to replenish this supply, the operatormanipulates the master-valve so as to open the connections from themotorcompressor to the tank and in so doing so admits air through thepipe 35 to the cylinder 34 thereby operating through the lever 31 toshift the gear 24 axially into clutching relation to the gear 15, thegear 24 being rotated in the meanwhile by the shaft 26 to which it issplined. This having been done, the shaft 26 will drive themotorcompressor as a compressor through the gears 24 and 15. It will benoted that at this time, the shafts 26 and 8 rotate in the samedirection, whereas when the motorcompressor was used as a motor fordriving the shaft 26, these two shafts rotated in opposite directions.

The disconnection of these two shafts is also effected automatically bythe running of the engine under its own power due to the higher speed ofthe engine shaft when.

running under the power of the engine than when being driven by themotor. This automatic connecting and disconnecting means includes anaxially movable gear which is moved automatically into and out of meshwith a gear on the engine shaft.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a motor having a shaft, a second shaft mounted inalinement with the motor shaft and adapted to drive and be driven by thesame, a clutch for con necting the two shafts for simultaneous rotation,a counter-shaft, a gear adapted to slide axially on the counter-shaftand connected to the counter-shaft by a spiral thread, and meansincluding the said axially movable gear and the counter-shaft forconnecting the shaft of the motor to said second shaft whereby the motormay drive the second shaft and be disconnected therefrom when the speedof the second shaft exceeds the speed of the motorshaft; substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a motor having a shaft, a second shaft mounted inalinement with the motor shaft, a movable clutch member for connectingthe two shafts for simultaneous rotation, a gear on the motor shaft,

a second gear on the second shaft, a counter- I shaft, two gears mountedon the countershaft, one of which is movable axially upon thecounter-shaft and connected thereto by a spiral thread, said gears onthe countershaft cooperating with the said gears upon the motor shaftand the second shaft, one meshing directly with its cooperating gear andthe other connected to its cooperating gear through an idler gear;substantially as described.

3. The combination of a convertible motor compressor having a shaft, asecond shaft adapted to drive and be driven by the shaft of the motorcompressor, means for connecting the two shafts together forsimultaneous rotation in the same direction, and automatic means forconnecting the shaft of the motor compressor to said second shaft forsimultaneous rotation in opposite directions, said last named meansbeing actuated automatically to disconnect the second shaft from themotor shaft when the speed of the second shaft exceeds that of the motorshaft; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GREGORY J. SPOHRER. Witnesses:-

H.- Ross VAN VLEoK, D. S. EDMONDS.

